Kyle Drabek experience and the racing

News out of Area 51 (Las Vegas) reads bittersweet. First the bitter, then the sweet, then a bit more bitter.

Travis Snider, whose bat had ignited over the past week, was plunked in the head last night and is now out indefinitely with a concussion.

Brett Cecil eked out a quality start (3 ER , 7 H , 9 SO , 2 BB , 7 IP) in the same game against the Reno Aces. While his team still trailed by one run, Cecil finessed his way out of a jam in the 6th, after loading the bases with just one out, inducing a pop up and getting a key strikeout on a 3-2 count for the final out of the inning. His fastball, an area of concern through April, reached 93 mph on the radar gun. It was clocked consistently between 89 -90 mph.

In this battle of casino-cities, the Aces eventually folded in the 9th. Las Vegas beat Reno 5-4.

Rainy Day, Dream Away

The Kyle Drabek Experience, wrought with all the power, potential, and unpredictability of gods making love, was wild and hard hitting in a Las Vegas tour-stop this afternoon. Unfortunately, that makes the performance sound a lot better than it was.

In his Triple-A debut, Drabek might as well have fallen off the stage for all the control he summoned.

He lasted just four innings (4ER, 8 H, 7 BB, 3 SO), as the Aces trumped the Aliens 12-9 at Cashman field.

Still Raining, Still Dreaming

Let’s hope he stops showing off his best “Wild Thing” impression and shifts gears into an “Ezy Ryder” soon enough. There’s a mob of fans waiting for another Toronto tour-date to be added.

Rookie James Jakes, 23, also from England, running in just his second oval contest, placed a respectable 15th.

I wish them both a safe and successful race next weekend.

My congratulations to Canadian rookie talent and fellow Camp Kawabi alumnus James Hinchcliffe, who placed 6th in the race, scoring another top 10 finish (4th at Long Beach, 9th at São Paulo) for Newman-Haas Racing.

Head on over to the virtual world of Hinchtown, where Mayor Hinchliffe, 24, regales his residents with colourful tales from road and track as the plot thickens in this IndyCar Series Adventure. Hinchcliffe hails from Oakville, Ontario.